


roses are red, violets are blue, i really like you, please like me too

by cryystal_m00n



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Attempt at Humor, Flowers, Fluff, M/M, Out of Character, but it's not really funny cause i'm not funny, done!luhan, florist!yifan, i like to think that it's cute, ig??, july!yifan, panicked gay!yifan, tattoo artist!junmyeon, thirsty and also done!tao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 21:12:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15693468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryystal_m00n/pseuds/cryystal_m00n
Summary: so yifan might have a thing for tao's boyfriend's boss. just maybe.(or, the one where because tao is a thirsty hoe, yifan gets a new crush. and he's really bad at this whole liking other pretty people thing.)





	roses are red, violets are blue, i really like you, please like me too

**Author's Note:**

> hi  
> this is my first krisho work, but they are like my everything and i will never give up on them  
> i hope i made my dads happy  
> i also really hope y'all like this bc i'm actually pretty proud of it?? lol??  
> enjoy!!

“i dare you to get a tattoo at the parlour across the street,” it’s what tao says as soon as he enters yifan’s flower shop. if he could, he would ban the man from the _sunflower galaxy,_ but unfortunately, he can’t do anything about it since huang zitao is one of his bestest friends, no matter how annoying and flamboyant he can get.

 

“tao, i’m not coming with you to _exodus_ just so that you can talk to that tattoo artist you wanna fuck. you can take lu for this, he said he wanted a new piercing anyway,” after he tells this to younger he turns back to his arrangement at hand. he takes one of the african daisies next to his table and puts the flower in it. he frowns at the bouquet and turns it to tao, “what do you think?”

 

he gives the flowers a look before sighing and letting his head fall on the counter, “he’s so handsome, fan!” he whines in his characteristic way. “i went with lu-ge yesterday already and we made _eye contact!”_ yifan pats his head without much thought, trying to choose between two ribbons. “i want yixing to choke me,” tao sighs, lifting his head only to slam it back down.

 

the taller man looks at the pair of scissors next to his hand and shakes his head. “you want to fuck him that badly?”

 

“you don’t get it, ge! i don’t want him just for his body! i want to hold his hand, and kiss his cheek and be just as disgusting as lu and his girlfriend! i, huang zitao, have to fight for the gays!”

 

just as yifan could sense the beginning of a new rant coming from the younger, the doorbell rung, signaling the entrance of a new paying customer. he flicks tao’s head before looking up at the person. there stood jongdae, a tray of three coffees in his hand and a bag of pastries in his other.

 

“what’s up, fuckers?”

 

yifan sighs, feeling the second headache coming slowly but surely. he takes the arrangement, going with it in the back to ensure that it will not be destroyed by the storm that is kim jongdae. the blond walks up to tao, dropping the bag on his head as he sits the coffees on the counter.

 

tao just sniffles, letting the bag stay on top of his head. “man, you’re really emo today, taotao,” jongdae throws casually as he takes a sip of his iced latte.

 

“he wants to out-disgust lu or whatever,” yifan says, coming back and taking his own coffee, a way too sugary concoction that luhan says will get him killed one day.

 

“i just want love!” tao whines, slamming his hand on the front of the counter. yifan throws him a dirty look that goes ignored.

 

“you know, taotao, me, baekkie and minnie are looking for a fourth party,” the blond proposes as he begins to thread his fingers through the younger’s hair. tao just cries louder.

yifan watches them for a few moments, the youngest’s cries falling on deaf ears. “fine!” he exclaims, putting his cup down.

 

two heads bolt up to look at him. “you want to talk to yixing, right?” at tao’s small nod, he continues, “dae, take care of the shop for a while,” he says, walking to zitao and grabbing his wrist. “if i have to hear you whine one more time, i’m selling candy on the dark web!”

 

the man whimpers, turning to look at jongdae for some kind of help. said man just gives him a kittenish smile as he walks behind the counter and puts on his apron. tao accepts his fate as his older best friend drags him all the way across the street to the parlour. he enters the shop, pushing tao against the counter.

 

the person behind it looks up from his sketch, frowning at the pair? he looked pretty small, with a bored look on his face and short hair. from what yifan could see, there weren’t any tattoos or piercings, at least not where he was showing skin.

 

“he,” he pushes tao some more, “wants to talk to your yixing guy. if i see him walk out of here too soon, i will have to come and get his number myself, which frankly, i don’t want to. so please, make sure you don’t let him out,” he sighs, turning to walk out of the establishment. just as he was reaching the door, a soft voice stopped him.

 

“soo-ah, did seungmin arrive?”

 

he turns, only to be faced with one of the most beautiful faces he has ever had the pleasure of seeing, and he sees minseok on a daily basis. the man stood there is smaller than him (not a surprise), with soft-looking wavy hair tied back with a simple black bandana. he’s dressed in all black, and yifan can see a few tattoos peeking on his forearm underneath the sleeves of his button down. when he is done checking the man’s body and settles on his face, yifan can feel his heart beating just a bit faster. the man’s face is exactly what jongdae and tao would call uwu overload. he swears god confused him with a bunny or something like that. the blond just wants to pinch his cheeks.

 

and then, after ogling at him for a good five minutes, time in which tao and the other employee looked at him as if he was crazy, the man had the audacity to smile at him, action warm and gentle. yifan is gone.

 

“are you here to get a tattoo, sir?” he asks, smile never leaving his face.

 

yifan coughs. “he,” he points to zitao, “wants to get in yixing’s pants and hold his hand and be gross or whatever. please make it happen.”

 

“ah, i see,” the brown haired man begins, putting his hand on his chin, “well, you’re just in luck! i’m pretty sure xing is free right now! i’ll go call him,” he says as he turns to walk back into the studio.

 

yifan doesn’t wait for him to come back before he is out the door, running back to his shop with a pounding heart in his chest and cheeks pink.

 

* * *

 

so now, because yifan took the matter into his own hands, tao has a new boyfriend, under the form of a very confused yet adorable tattoo artist named zhang yixing. and to say that they are grosser than lu and xiaotong is an understatement. despite being together for only three weeks, the two are glued to each other. yixing comes to the flower shop during his free time at the parlour, while zitao brings him lunch and coffee at the studio.

 

he now knows yixing’s tattoos in detail, and if he has to listen to the younger gushing about how dreamy his boyfriend looks while drawing, he swears he will hit tao with an empty pot. sure, he is happy that his best friend is in love (tao yells and hides his face each time yifan tells him that that’s what it is), but he would really like a moment of silence, without any couples around him.

 

“ge,” zitao says in the middle of one of his yixing related rants. the elder really wishes jongdae would be here, but the man is currently out on a date with his boyfriends, probably being just as in love as all of yifan’s friends. the whining man pokes yifan’s arm, making him sting himself on one of the rose thorns.

 

he sighs, putting the flowers away. “yes, taotao?”

 

“you should go apologize to junmyeon-hyung for running like that last time.”

 

ah yes, kim junmyeon, the twenty-eight years old owner of the parlour and the one that made yifan’s heart skip a heartbeat. tao took a liking to the elder man, going as far as making him arrangements that the artist could draw. if yifan wouldn’t know just how whipped he is for his boyfriend, he would think that tao has a crush on him. not that the fact that zitao gets to spend time with the adorable man makes yifan jealous. not at all.

 

“look, it’s not like i’m ever gonna meet the dude again, so we can just pretend it never happened, ok?” when all he is met with is tao’s disapproving look, he knows he doesn’t have anything else to say.

 

which is how, three minutes later, he finds himself in front of the bored looking guy, holding the arrangement he was working on back in the store. soo, if he remember correctly, raises his eyebrows at him, nodding with his head to the bouquet.

 

“uh… is junmyeon around?” before he could finish, the man himself walks into the room, pushing his hair back.   
  
“is yeol here with my coffee cause i feel like dyin-- oh hello, you’re the one that brought tao to us, right?”

 

yifan nods dumbly, speechless at just how beautiful the man is. he is almost positive the man got even prettier over the course of three weeks.

 

“got another friend that wants to woo one of my employees? cause, i’m sorry to disappoint you, but i’m the only single one left,” he laughs, tilting his head back and exposing his neck tattoo. it’s a simple mandala, from what yifan can see, black and grey, classy. he wants to stroke each little detail of it. he shakes the thoughts out of his head.

 

he pushes the flowers towards the tattoo artist. “these are for you… as an apology… for running away last time,” he stutters, making himself feel more embarrassed by the second.

 

junmyeon laughs again, moving to accept the flowers. “you’re telling me you didn’t want to spend almost an hour watching them be painfully awkward while struggling to flirt? man, i don’t believe you. that was honestly a dream, right, kyungsoo?” said man, grunts, not looking up from his drawing as he is trying to choose between two shades of green.

 

left without something to hold, yifan’s hands move to his jeans, stuffing them in his pockets.

 

“hey, your jeans are really pretty! where did you get them?” junmyeon asks, pointing with his free hand towards them.

 

yifan looks down, suddenly realizing what he is wearing, “ah, tao is the one who drew the flowers. he’s studying to become a fashion designer when he’s not trying to work in my flower shop,” he chuckles, touching the petals of one of the flowers. “you can ask him to do something like that for you too, if you want. i’m certain he would be more than thrilled to help you, junmyeon-ssi.”

 

“junmyeon is fine...”

 

“yifan, wu yifan,” he introduces himself, giving him his hand. junmyeon shakes it, tattooed fingers wrapping around his slightly dirty and cut hands. that’s what he gets for working as a florist.

 

the artist smiles at him, bright teeth on display. “yifan,” he says, and the taller can’t think of a time when his name has ever sounded this… dulcet, this soothing. he wants to hear him say it for the rest of his life.

 

kyungsoo coughs, bringing them both back to reality. they pull their hands apart, laughing awkwardly.

 

“thank you for the flowers, yifan. they are gorgeous,” junmyeon blushes, bringing the bouquet to his face and sniffing it.   


the blond nods, his hand shooting up to point to the door behind him. “i should probably go… can’t have tao in the shop alone for too much,” he jokes, letting out another extremely awkward laugh. the brown haired man chuckles, but doesn’t make any move to stop him. “i’ll see you soon?” just after junmyeon hums does he turn around and exits the shop.

 

for the second time, yifan finds himself walking back to _sunflower galaxy_ with a blush on his cheeks. but this time, besides his flaming cheeks, there is the dumbest smile on his lip. he hates the fact that he has to thank tao for this.

 

* * *

 

after this, yifan notices just how often he looks out the front window at the studio across. he does it when he’s watering the plants, when he’s walking around the shop in search of the perfect flowers, when he zones out while sitting at the counter, waiting for one of his friends to come bring him coffee, even when he locks up. he’s starting to think that it might turn into a problem, but he won’t admit it to anyone, especially not whiny ass huang zitao or noisy ass kim jongdae. he knows better than to share any valuable information with them.

 

which is why he turns to luhan for help.

 

he calls him after a particular traumatizing instance of junmyeon coming into the shop, wearing a simple black tank top that showed off his toned arms and chest when he turned to look at the flowers. yifan could only stare at the exposed marked skin. he could recognise the hands from _the creation of adam_ on his forearm and a few picasso drawing littered across the rest of the arms, but the rest of the tattoos seemed foreign to the florist.

 

junmyeon walks up to yifan a few minutes later, holding an armfull of sunflowers that he places gently next to yifan’s larger hands. “i’m doing a tattoo inspired by van gogh,” he says, stroking one of the flowers. the blond hums, starting to arrange them in a simple bouquet. “i needed something for my fillers.”

 

now, yifan doesn’t really know shit about tattoos. he knows that some of them are pretty, some of them not, and that he could spend hours memorizing junmyeon’s. but he isn’t dumb enough to not know about fillers. “wait.”

 

the artist looks up from where he was admiring the elder’s collection of ribbons. “yes?” he asks, a confused glint in his eyes.

 

“you tattoo yourself?”

 

“oh,” junmyeon laughs, the same nice sound that yifan has come to yearn, “i did it a lot when i had space on my legs and arms. now i just pretty much ask my workers to do it or i get new ones when i go to conventions.”

“arms? as in both of them?”

 

“i’m ambidextrous, yifan,” junmyeon says as if it isn’t a big deal.

 

the florist stops from forming the bouquet. “whoa, that’s so cool, myeonie!” he blurts, only realizing the nickname after turning back to his job at hands. he blushes.

 

junmyeon, the traitor, chuckles. “myeonie, hm? i like that,” he admits, a faint blush of his own on his cheeks.

 

the blond pushes the sunflowers in his direction. “just take them. they’re on me.”

 

“fan, i can’t! let me pay!”

 

the blush deepens, but if junmyeon notices it he doesn’t say anything. “it’s chill, don’t worry about it. you can pay next time.”

 

the brown haired man puts his hand over yifan’s. “thank you, fan,” he says, voice barely above a whisper as he stands on his tiptoes and presses a kiss to the older man’s cheek. he is out the shop immediately after, leaving one flustered yifan behind, still holding a hand against his cheek.

 

“so let me get this straight,” luhan sighs after yifan is done with his story. he is rubbing his temples, like he would rather be anywhere else than in front of the younger, drinking overpriced disgusting starbucks coffee. “you’re basically even a more panicked gay than dae when he was trying to seduce min and baek,” he deadpans, pushing the cup away.

 

the blond gasps, hand shooting up to his chest in disbelief. “i am _not_ one of your twitter memes, lu!”

 

“you spend too much time with tao, fanfan.”

 

“i-i’m just saying, he’s really nice and i would die for him,” yifan whines, letting his head fall on the table.

 

“yeap, definitely too much time with him.”

 

“what do i do, lu?”

 

“you could start by asking him on a date maybe?” when all he gets is another whine from yifan, he shakes his head, moving his right hand to pet the platinum strands of hair. “just do it, you big baby! there’s literally nothing to lose!”

 

yifan nods, lifting his head up. “you’re right, lu. i’m gonna try it!” he announces, fist pumping the air and earning himself a few curious glances from the other customers.

 

luhan laughs, shushing him. “that’s the spirit!”

 

* * *

 

except that he doesn’t give it a try. in fact, he goes back to staring out the window like a creep as soon as he sets step in his shop. he can feel the judgemental look from luhan that the other is probably throwing him despite not knowing that he crossed the bro code.   
  
which is what he is doing now, while trying to bring some new flowers from the truck waiting outside the shop. jongdae keeps snickering as he passes him, before asking yifan if he will be alone on his own for a bit. the elder nods and with that he is left alone with a truck full of flowers and the useless tries to stop himself from gawking across the street.   
  
he is so caught up in trying to peptalk himself, that he doesn’t even notice the figure coming to his right, “hey there, fan, need a hand?” the voice startles yifan so much that he drops the box of carnations, making them spill on the ground.

 

he drops to his knees, trying to gather them as quickly as possible. there is another pair of hands picking the flowers up, and when he looks to check who they belong to, he is met with one worried looking kim junmyeon.  
  
“jesus, are you actually ok?”

 

“uh, just… tired from the sun and, yeah,” he manages to come up with, standing up while hugging the box to his chest, trying to make sure his flowers will not be put through more traumatic experiences.   
  
“i’ll help you then,” the artist says, moving towards the truck to take one of the boxes in his arms.   
  
yifan wants to protest, but the other is already making his way inside the flower shop, placing the flowers on the floor and walking to get a new one. so the blond just accepts the help with a nod, getting to work himself.   
  
together they manage to get the work done in less than fifteen minutes, which is honestly a new record for yifan. most of the time when he has to bring in new goods, jongdae and zitao ditch him not even five minutes in, either claiming that they miss their boyfriends (most of the time, jongdae) or that working in poor conditions isn’t good for their skin and mental health (tao).   
  
the florist looks at junmyeon, forehead just a bit sweaty, and asks himself how is it possible for someone to look good even after carrying boxes. “ah, wait here, jun,” he says, before running out the back door. he comes back a few minutes later with a container in his hands. “brownie, made by minseok so it’s edible,” he coughs, thrusting it into junmyeon’s hands.   
  
the younger looks down for a second, only to look back up at the blond. “you’re cute, fan. thanks for the brownie,” he winks, turning to walk out of the store.

 

yifan, a whole 187 centimeters of tree, is truly, most utterly fucked.

 

* * *

 

zitao asked yifan on a bro date, claiming that they haven’t been spending as much time outside of work as usual. the older man tells him it’s because he keeps choosing dick over his best friend, but tao just shakes his head and keeps wondering what has come in between them.

 

so after closing hours, they make their way to a traditional chinese place that they have both come to enjoy after many nights of missing home. they get inside and tao guides him to the back, to a more private area. yifan frowns, asking the younger if he is finally ready to confess his feelings to him. zitao just snorts and slaps his arm.

 

they sit down at a table with four chairs, which again, should’ve made yifan question the intentions of his friend, but he was tired and starving and he couldn’t care less about whatever the brunette has in store for the night.

 

just as he was looking through the menu as if not knowing it by heart already, the chair besides him is pulled back, a new comer sitting down. he looks just to find one kim junmyeon smiling at him. he turns to glare at tao, but the man is too busy kissing yixing hello to even spare yifan a glance.

 

“nice to see you here, fan,” junmyeon greets the elder as his smile becomes even bigger. “you look really handsome.”

 

“h-hey,” yifan chokes out, eyes going back to the menu.

 

across the table, tao snorts for the second time in not even fifteen minutes. yifan is starting to get worried for him.

 

he drags his voice. “gays, you are probably wondering why we gathered here,” he says as he hits his glass twice with his finger, hoping that it will produce some kind of sound. the only sound that elicts from this action is a whine coming from the man himself as he takes his finger back and holds it against his mouth. yixing reaches for it and presses it to his lips.

 

“i’m pan but go on,” yifan deadpans, going for his own glass of water.

 

“homosexuals.”

 

yifan groans.

 

“it is about a very urgent matter. do you mayhaps have any idea what i’m talking about?” when no one answers him, he sighs. “look, you two,” he points to junmyeon and yifan, ”the sexual tension between you two is _killing me!_ so i don’t care what you do, but you,” he claps, “need,” clap, “to,” clap, “fucking,” another one, “fuck!” one final loud clap.

 

the eldest hits his leg, hard. “huang zitao, shut. up.”

 

but next to him, junmyeon is laughing so hard he gets tears in his eyes. he looks at him with an apologetic look in his eyes. “i’m really sorry. yixing, control your man.”

 

yixing just shakes his head, “he’s kinda right, ge…”

 

the blond hides his face, letting out a whine. “you’re the worst. all of you!” he interjected, giving them all the middle finger.

 

“even me?” he hears junmyeon ask. after a few seconds he shakes his head. “good,” is what the younger says just before putting his hand on yifan’s thigh and giving it a light squeeze.

 

yifan puts his hands down slowly, giving the artist a small smile.

 

for the rest of the dinner, all he can concentrate on is the hand on his leg that sometimes starts drawing random patterns all the while its owner is talking to the younger men about something that the blond can’t pick up.

 

just as zitao gets ready to order dessert, pandan cake for everyone (to which yixin teases him and keeps on calling him panda bear), junmyeon leans on yifan’s side. “wanna come by my place now, fannie?” he whispers, making the blond shiver. when the man nods, junmyeon turns back to the still red tao and the smirking yixing. “is it cool if we’re gonna ditch you guys?”

 

“yes!” tao all but yells, making junmyeon shush him quickly.

 

“alrighty, taotao,” the elder chuckles, reaching for his wallet. “the dinner is on. and don’t even think about protesting.”

 

after he pays, he stands up, giving his hand to yifan. the florist does the same, holding onto the offered hand and marveling at how the skin has one hundred percent gotten softer than the last time they held hands. they bid goodbye to the couple, and leave the restaurant with junmyeon softly swinging their hands.

 

the whole ride home, junmyeon kept on turning to look at yifan, smiling at him and reminding him of how beautiful he looks tonight. the blond could only blush and turn his head everytime, telling the artist to keep his eyes on the road.

 

once inside and seated on the couch, junmyeon takes a hold of yifan’s hand. “fannie,” he begins, using his other hand to make the elder look at him. “i really like you.”

 

yifan swallows, nodding slowly, still trying to process what the younger just said. “i… i like you too…”

 

“yeah, i kinda gathered that. you’re not really the most subtle person.” yifan’s cheeks redden. “so, can i kiss you?”

 

the blond hums, closing his eyes. and then, after what feels like years of waiting for this moment, junmyeon’s lips are finally on his. the kiss is tender, nothing more than an innocent peck. when the younger pulls away to rest his forehead on the blond’s, the latter chases his lips, managing to make junmyeon smile and go back to kissing him.

 

“so,” yifan starts, “are we like, boyfriends?”

 

“we’re whatever you want to be,” the artist whispers as he pecks the elder’s lips one more time.  
  
“boyfriends.”

 

junmyeon laughs, resting his head on yifan’s shoulder and pressing a kiss to the blond’s neck. “i like that.”

 

yifan smiles and kisses his hair.

 

“me too.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> [twitter](https://twitter.com/cryystal_moon)   
>  [tumblr](http://cryystal-m00n.tumblr.com)   
>  [curiouscat](https://curiouscat.me/cryystal_moon)


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